Eye-opening & Inspirational Opportunity

I didn't really know what to expect when going on my GLA trip to the Dominican Republic but I came back much more motivated and excited than when I had left. That's what is special about the GLA program in the DR. You experience social, environmental, and economic problems firsthand and return enlightened with a sense of empowerment of how to address sustainability issues at home.

The lodging is quite authentic, being housed in structures built with traditional materials open to the outside. The pool and the beach are nearby, perfect for a much-needed cool down after a hard day's work. The food, which consists almost entirely of chicken, rice, and beans, along with the island's fresh fruit, is simple yet delicious. There is plenty of fun to be had snorkeling, hiking up Brison, zip-lining into a giant pit of water, and just spending time at the beach. Of course there is still lots of work which I found the most rewarding. We worked on building bottle schools, creating a trail for an eco-tourism venue, digging a huge trench to reroute a river in order to prevent flooding, constructing an aquaponics system, participating in a reforestation project, clearing invasive species, and simply cleaning up the beach. We also visited Dajabon, a town on the Haitian border; we stayed in Jarabocoa, a town in the mountains; we also ventured to the 500-year-old capital, Santo Domingo. All of these excursions were fascinating new experiences.

My favorite part of the trip was time spent in Ascensión, a Haitian refugee village where we worked on building a bottle school. We saw actual poverty firsthand, where the villagers were cut off from outside recourses, live without the basic necessities that citizenship provides, and often eat only once every other day. This is what inspired me to go home and continue to try to make a difference, and helped determine what I want to do with my life. I would recommend going to the DR with GLA to anyone.